After being kidnapped by two criminals during birth, Chappie becomes the adopted son in a strange and dysfunctional family. Chappie is preternaturally gifted, one of a kind, a prodigy. He also happens to be a robot.

Director Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley have known each other since going to the same high school, and Copley has appeared in every feature film Blomkamp has directed. Chappie will mark the third film they have worked together on with the other two being Elysium & District 9.